September's Goal

Ah, I can't believe this month is already over!  You would think a month where I ate no sugar would drag on forever, but that hasn't been the case (most days!)

In starting to recap the month, I feel like a war veteran, like I'm changed now that I'm on the other side.  I see the world differently.  But I don't have PTSD, I don't think.

It was hard at first, my time between kids going to bed and my own bedtime was the hardest time of day.  This is when I usually have some sort of treat.  A cup of cocoa or ice cream that Adam bought when he ran to the store for milk and came home with $40 of groceries I would never buy (but love to eat!).  If we don't have anything good, I can usually count on sweet cereal to fill the void.

The first night without sugar I had ice water.  I just need something to snack on.  It wasn't the same, but it wasn't the worst either.  Later, my twitter friend Meredith recommended gum.  I had great success with the mint chocolate chip gum.

I also loved Bengal Spice herbal tea. This stuff is seriously the best.  A little honey, a splash of almond milk. . . heaven.  Oh yeah, honey doesn't count.  You might argue that the body responds to it in the same way it responds to sugar.  I don't care.  I have to draw the line somewhere.

This isn't to say I was perfect.  I allowed myself the occasional cheat day.  Because I love cake pops, but I find the opportunities to eat really good cake pops are few and far between.  My friend Brandy had them at her daughter's 1st birthday party, so you know, I had to.

Still, I lost 4lbs!

Here's why I think this worked for me.  Sugar is my biggest weakness.  Going vegetarian did nothing for me because I'm practically vegetarian already.  I cooked four vegetarian meals this week with out even trying.  And two of the other days I ate vegetarian leftovers.  So, it didn't really change my diet that much.

But sugar.

Like I said, I was eating a treat almost every night.  Those were all extra calories.

So my hope is, going forward, that I will continue to stop my eating after dinner.  I'll throw 7pm out there, but sometimes we eat diner at 5:30 so it might be even earlier.  I want to think about dessert like I think about soda.  I love Dr. Pepper, but I don't drink it every day.  I don't drink it every week.  Maybe one a month, but I try to have one every other month or so.  I don't feel sad about it because I know I can have some in the future.  And I feel good drinking water.  So I want to think about dessert like that.  I love it, but I don't have to have it all the time.

Tomorrow?  I'm making dessert.  I think I've earned it. 

Five Food Friday Favorites: Comfort Food

I didn't know if this was a "Food Friday" or a "Five Favorites on Friday" so I combined them.  Regardless, comfort food and the fall is a match made in heaven. 

I admit that in "researching" for this post, I got a little sick.  Last fall I was pregnant and comfort food was all I could think about.  This year, it was a bit much to eat all of these meals in one week.  Except the lentils.  Those are so delicious, but also really healthy.  Score.

1. Tuna Noodle Cassrole
This version is amazing!  A few more steps than the original, but it brings it to a whole new level.

 

2. Goolash
So this is the closest thing I found to the way I make it.  Basically brown some ground beef and onion and then throw in tomatoes, tomato sauce, italian seasoning and pasta, maybe a little water and let it simmer.  Top with some cheese and you're golden.  Axel loved this meal, he ate leftovers for two days after!

3. Mac and Cheese
I really need to post my mac and cheese recipe on here!  In the mean time, this one was good.  But not as good as mine!

4. Sweet and Sour Lentils
Oh my goodness, these are amazing.  My vegetarian brother said these made him feel guilty because they tasted like my mom's meatloaf (He was probably referring to the sauce that she put on top, because it also has a sweet and sour flavor)

5. Stew
I love the beef stew my mom made when we were growing up, but since I don't have it right here, I will say that LOVE making Tiffanie's slow cooker beef stew. 

 What do you like to cook in the fall?

The Double Date

Out with friends, secretly dating

When your life consists of work and church, and when you work teaching high school, you pretty much know if you're going to get married you're going to find that person at church.  I think by the time I met the one guy at my school who was single and not a student, I was married and knocked up.  But I digress.

After my very public relationship/breakup with a weird guy, Adam and I decided we would not tell anyone we were dating so that if it did go south the awkwardness would be minimal. 

At that time, my bishop decided we would hold a monthly ward "date night".  He was older and perhaps he thought the best way to end his stint at a bishop would be to get everyone in our singles ward married off.  And who do you think was put in charge of this even????  Me.  Ug.

Going with Adam would have outed our little secret, or at least put suspicion in people's minds.  We decided to go with other people.  Adam helped a seriously socially awkward guy ask me (you don't know socially awkward until you meet this person.  It was tragic really, such a brilliant mind, but couldn't nail a job interview) and he asked a girl that he thought was nice but wasn't really interested in (because DUH, he was interested in me).

That first month I put on a game night.  Bring a treat, play a game, go home with the person who brought you.  Just kidding about that last part.  Nate (my date) and Adam (my secret boyfriend) decided it would be fun to go out to dinner before the games.

And that's how your find yourself on a double date with your boyfriend but not with him. 

How do I say this clearly?  First, I really really love Adam.  I love him more now than I did then.  BUT.  Marriage changes things.  Jealousy dissipates.  He's seen me give birth twice, he stuck around, he's not going anywhere.  New love is exciting and unsure, and there was a girl sitting in the front seat of my boyfriend's car using the seat warmer!  I would feel less jealousy if I were in the same position now, but of course that would be totally inappropriate. 

At the game playing part of the night, I found myself at a table with my ex boyfriend Steve (I think his name is Jake in my love story posts.  Oops, looks like the cat's out of the bag!), the one guy I went out with between dating Steve and dating Adam, Nate (my date) and Adam.  Oh yeah, and all these guys' dates.  Later Steve told me that sitting at that table must have made me feel pretty good about myself.  Honestly, I was just trying not to talk much.

We all brought sweet treats to share, but two guys mixed up our Thanksgiving dinner on Monday with the game night on Friday and brought mashed potatoes, so that was fun.

After the games, a group invited us over watch a movie.  It was late for me (I was such a grandma, even then) and so I claimed I was tired.  I didn't lie. 

Still, when Nate walked me to my door, I went in and sat on my bed. . . I didn't want to put on my pjs juuuuuuust yet.  Not ten minutes later, Adam called.  No I wasn't asleep, yes I did want to see him.

The next month, for date night we made Gingerbread houses.  Adam and I went together.

Out with friends, people were starting to figure it out.

PS, Tiffanie I found a seriously awesome picture of you when searching out these pictures on facebook.  I thought about it for a long time before deciding to leave it off. You are welcome.  :)

Art for Olivia's room

We're getting a house!!!

I still can't believe it.  So happy.  But also, the first time I've ever been able to really make a space my own.  Roommates and rentals have made it impossible to really fulfill my visions.  The scary part is, no more excuses!  Money is my only excuse, but I think I can do pretty well on a budget, so we'll see!

One thing I'm excited about, but having a hard time nailing down in my mind, is Olivia's bedroom.  When asked what color she wanted in her room she said "sparkly".  I also wanted to do a collage of sweet girl things.  I'm trying to decide between a gallery wall and a cork board.  Maybe both, on different walls.

One piece of art that's very important in LDS (Mormon) culture is our temples.  We our encouraged to teach our children about the importance of temples and to have pictures in our home so they are always on our mind.  But while most temple photos are beautiful, they just weren't what I had in mind for my girls room.

I eventually found this sketch of the Los Angeles Temple (where we were married) and I love it.  Guess what?  It's super tiny.  They don't make large prints of it.  It's just a temple recommend holder (the size of a credit card)

And then, light bulb!  I thought to check etsy (don't know why that wasn't my first thought) and here are some awesome pieces I found.  Which one do you like best?

By Lily Gene, the San Diego Temple silhouette
I love that you can customize your temple and color.  I would pick the LA, just because it's where we were married.

By Gewaly Art, the Oquirrh Mountain Temple
They don't have the LA temple print available, but we lived by the Oquirrh Mountain Temple when Olivia was born, so it is also special to us.

By Cherish Me Designs, the LA Temple
I love how vintage this print looks.  It fits much better with what I want for Olivia's room.

By Acorn to Zebra Collage, the LA Temple collage
I love how quirky and fun this print is. 

Which one is your fav?  Do you know anyone who sells temple sketches like the first one?  I love the others, but I still love the first one the most!!!

Five Favorites on Friday: Old Movies

What is it about fall that makes me want to snuggle into the couch with some cocoa or apple cinnamon herbal tea with honey and watch a movie?  Not just any movie, but old movies from like the 60s.  Ah, it feels cooler in here just thinking about it.  No, wait, that's the AC kicking on.  Anyway. . .

Here are my five favorite old movies.

1. Summer Magic: This one is great to watch in September since the movie takes you from summer into fall.  It's one of Hayley Mills lesser known rolls.  And it's wonderfully charming.

2. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers: Doesn't getting snowed in a cabin with a bunch of cute boys sound so romantic???

3. Pillow Talk: I'm still in denial that Rock Hudson was gay.

4. Yours, Mine and Ours: Lucille Ball!  I love her.  This movie is so sweet and funny, a rare combo.

5. Ben Hur: Probably more of a spring time movie, since it's contemporary with the resurrection of Christ, but I just love it in the fall too.

A Day in the life

As a blogger, "A day in the life" posts seem seriously narcissistic.  But as a blog reader, they are some of my favorite to read.  Something about knowing how other people pass the day makes me feel more normal/gives me ideas for things to do with my kids!  The main thing I've learned is that Olivia cannot entertain herself as well as most of my friends' kids can.  Hopefully it's a learned ability, we certainly keep working on it!

6:00 am Axel wakes up to eat and I'm super impressed he slept until 6.  Lately he's been pushing for 5:30 and ever since our trip to CO I've been letting him.  He goes right back to sleep and I try to stay awake (Adam has been gone for 30 minutes) but we spent good money on our bed and it should not be wasted.  So I snuggle back in.

7:20 I wake up for no reason.  But I decide to read my scriptures and shower before the kids wake up.  Since they are still sleeping when I'm done, I catch up on twitter and insta back in my super delicious bed.

8:20 Axel wakes up.  I know Olivia has been awake for a while, but she hasn't called for me.  I get Axel and we both go get Olivia up.  She loves when we both get her.  I nurse Axel while Olivia watches Sofia the First.  Then oatmeal for everyone!

9:00 Kids and I play in Olivia's room and I sneak away for minutes at a time to do my hair and make up.

10:00 Target trip! I got some fun things for Olivia in an attempt to help her play independently.  Sidewalk chalk, a notebook with lined paper, stickers and play dough. 

10:45 Nap time for Axel.  Olivia plays with sidewalk chalk, but is not impressed.  Olivia plays with play dough.

11:30 Axel wakes up and I'm relieved because now he'll take his long nap when Olivia takes hers.  Olivia is done with play dough and moves on to stickers.

12:00 lunch for everyone!  Peanut butter and jelly for Olivia and orzo pasta for Axel and I.  It should be nap time after lunch, but since Olivia stopped watching TV during lunch, she can eat those three bites of sandwich in four minutes.  So after lunch we played and read books in her bedroom.

1:00 Nap time for Olivia.  Then I nursed Axel to sleep.  And then!  Me time.  I do a little blogging, watch a little TV.  Sometimes I sew during this time.

2:00 Axel woke up earlier than expected.  Dang constipation ruining our schedule.

3:00 Olivia wakes up and we play a little more playdough and then watch Little Einsteins.  (I always ask her if she would prefer Sofia or Einsteins so she feels like she's making the choice but either way I win because those are two shows I don't mind).  Adam comes home at 3:30 but then leaves to go have his car inspected.  6am-2:30 is his new work schedule, but he'll be working out after most days so he will be home at his usual 4-4:30.

4:00 I try to put Axel down for a nap several times, but no dice.  5pm is the point of no return.  If he hasn't napped by then, no nap for him until bedtime at 7pm.

5:00 I start making dinner and Adam gets back from the tire store.  I made chili and corn bread waffles.  The kids play while I cook (for a few seconds until Olivia decides to come and "help" in the kitchen)

6:00 We eat dinner.  Axel eats green beans, banana, and corn bread.  He stayed happy as long as we were feeding him!  After dinner both kids go into the tub.  Then I nurse Axel to sleep and give him a couple extra ounces of pumped milk.

7:00 Olivia and I read like 20 books in her room.  And only ten minutes pass!  Axel stirs so I go and give him some Tylenol for his teeth that are about to pop any day.  Olivia gets to watch some Team Umizoomi with dad (I would never allow that show because it bugs the heck out of me these days)

8:00 Olivia goes to bed.  Adam and I watch some netflix and I pump right before I go to bed at about 10. 

Everything about this day was so great until about 4pm and then Olivia just went into super destructo mood and tried to pull everything out and go crazy in the kitchen while I cooked dinner.  After her bath she was much more pleasant! 

Intentionally white

I used to have an interior design blog.  I guess I still have it.  But, I dunno, I'm just feeling like all blogging needs to be centralized and I'm going to centralize it here.  So yeah, no more Design Salt.  Instead, I'm going to do the occasional interior design post here.  With my etsy shop, and doing some sewing for my sister-in-law's company, I don't think I'll be offering design services any time soon (which was kind of the point of that blog)  And now that we're looking for a house (TO BUY!  So happy) I'm starting to be excited for interior design again.  I want to share, but I'm not willing to help you with specific questions.  (TOTALLY joking.  I would gladly help if you need it.  Just let me know) 

All that to say, I'm thinking about paint colors for the new house.  Gah!  What is it about town houses?  It feels like most people are getting their own space for the very first time (like we will) and they're just so dang excited to paint!  Paint all the things!  Paint all the colors!  Well, the house we're hoping to make an offer on like today has a dark brown and blue living room.  A yellow and red kitchen.  And I can't remember what the bedrooms are, maybe just taupe. 

Imagine that we do move in there.  First I'm going to have to correct the living room, because dark brown?  Royal blue?  I can't.  (I don't want to show pics in case, I don't know, they find it or something.  Silly, but the internet can be a smaller place than we know)  Also, I really want a new couch but let's be real, we're not going to be able to afford new furniture right away.  It's going to be a work in progress (which I think is the best kind!)

Am I crazy for wanting white walls?  I know, I know, we all grew up with them and we promised we would never.  But I don't want that egg shell color that comes standard in tract homes, I want my walls to look intentionally white.

Oh wait, why white?  Because I currently prefer grays and blues and white works better than the tans and taupes we're seeing so much lately.

Here are some white I'm considering (source)

Extra white by Sherwin Williams: This feels very minimalistic like what you would see in a Scandanavian home, which is my main inspiration for the designs in my new home. 

Modern Living Room by Miami Interior Designers & Decorators CLAUDIA LUJAN

Pure White by Sherwin Williams: This just feels classy.  I love it with the black, but I'm wondering how it would pair with a navy (I thinking of doing a simple couch cover in navy, to help me feel better about not getting a new couch just yet)

Traditional Entry by Chicago Architects & Designers COOK ARCHITECTURAL Design Studio

Dune White by Benjamin Moore: I like that this one has a gray undertone, but I worry that it will make the living room feel too cold.  Is that possible when you have a tiny living room?  Maybe it would be a good thing.

Traditional Living Room by Dc Metro Interior Designers & Decorators BROWN DAVIS INTERIORS, INC.

Natural Choice by Sherwin Williams: I love the earthiness of this one, but I worry that it will look too "egg shell"  I love love love the way it's styled in this home, however.  It looks great with the dark wood accents.

Contemporary Kitchen by Sacramento Architects & Designers Debbie R. Gualco

Which one is your favorite?  And please tell me you didn't paint your kitchen red.  I just can't see one more red kitchen (like half the houses we've looked at have red kitchens)